There is always one knit you reach for more than the others. It goes over a shirt when the morning is cold and the afternoon is not. It stands in for a jacket. It makes a pair of trousers look deliberate, and two years on it still looks like something you chose.
The less successful ones tend to reveal themselves quickly. The surface pills heavily. The shoulders drop. One wash changes the shape and it never quite returns. Price will not reliably tell you which kind you are buying. The better clues are in the fibre, the construction and the way the knit has been finished.
Start with the fibre
Cashmere has become shorthand for luxury, but the name on the label tells only part of the story. A beautiful cashmere can feel almost weightless. A poor one may begin to pill before the season is out. Merino and lambswool have a natural elasticity that helps them spring back, while alpaca is prized for its softness, warmth and subtle lustre.
Choosing by fibre alone is tempting, particularly when natural compositions carry such cachet. But a pure yarn does not automatically make a better garment. In knitwear, a small amount of synthetic fibre can be there for good reason. Nylon adds strength and resistance to wear. Spandex helps cuffs and necklines recover rather than gradually widening.
The more useful question is whether every fibre in the yarn serves a purpose.
The Lauren Turtleneck and Stella Polo Knit share the same composition: 79% alpaca, 19% nylon and 2% spandex. The alpaca gives the knit its soft hand and warmth. Nylon lends strength to the yarn, while spandex helps the piece retain its shape through repeated wear.
Why brushed alpaca feels different
The haze across the surface is not accidental. After knitting, fine fibres are lifted from the yarn to create the soft, almost clouded finish that distinguishes brushed alpaca. It gives the fabric depth, especially in black, where light catches the surface as a subtle sheen rather than a shine.
That softness changes how the garment should be treated. A new brushed knit may release a small amount of surface fibre during its first wears as the loosest ends work free. This is normal. Heat and vigorous agitation, however, can flatten or mat the raised finish, which is why these pieces are washed gently by hand and never tumble dried.
What good construction looks like
Composition is what you can read on the label. The rest is there to be examined.
Look across the knit rather than at one small section. The stitching should appear even, without areas that look noticeably looser than others. Seams should sit neatly and feel comfortable against the body. Gently stretch the cuff and neckline, then let them go. Both should return without remaining widened or distorted.
A lightweight knit is not necessarily a fragile one, just as a heavy knit is not necessarily better made. What matters is how the garment behaves once it has been worn: whether it settles back into shape, whether the neckline remains where it began and whether the shoulders still sit cleanly.
It is also worth noticing how clearly a brand describes what it has made. Fibre percentages and specific care instructions tell you considerably more than “luxuriously soft” ever will.
What pilling really means
Some pilling is part of wearing knitwear. It develops when loose fibre ends meet friction, usually beneath the arms, along the sides or wherever a bag strap or seatbelt repeatedly rests.
It is not, by itself, proof of poor quality. The amount of pilling can be affected by the length of the fibres, the way the yarn has been spun and how the garment is worn. What matters more is whether the surface can be maintained and whether heavy pilling appears unusually quickly.
Good knitwear rarely benefits from being overhandled. Airing it between wears is often enough, and washing should be reserved for when it is genuinely needed. E•L•S knitwear should be washed by hand in cold water, dried flat and stored folded to protect both its shape and its brushed surface.
The two knits in the E•L•S wardrobe
The Stella Polo Knit is the lighter of the two, designed for those weeks when the season cannot quite make up its mind. Its short sleeves and open collar sit easily with tailored trousers, denim or a long skirt. With a flat sandal and gold jewellery, it works for a lunch that continues into the evening. With straight-leg denim and a loafer, it becomes an uncomplicated weekend piece.
In midnight black, the Stella has the ease of a classic polo but reads more polished because of its brushed surface. Feather white brings softness to darker tailoring and works particularly well with black, stone and warm neutrals.
The Lauren Turtleneck is the winter foundation. It is fine enough to layer beneath a blazer or the Celeste Trench, yet substantial enough to wear alone with tailored trousers or a long skirt.
Let the neckline sit just above the lapel of a blazer, or wear it without layers so the clean shape and brushed texture do the work. In feather white, it lifts an otherwise dark outfit without introducing another colour.
If you are building a knitwear wardrobe slowly, begin with the shades that already belong to the rest of your clothes. Black, ivory and stone move easily between seasons and give the knit more opportunities to be worn.
Is quality knitwear worth the investment?
Only when it continues to earn its place.
The real calculation is not simply what a knit costs on the day you buy it. It is how often you reach for it afterwards, how many different ways it can be worn and whether it still feels relevant several seasons later.
Before bringing one home, consider what the composition is doing, whether the cuff and neckline recover after being stretched, and whether its care requirements suit the way you live. A good knit should not need to be saved for the right occasion. It should simply become part of how you dress.
All E•L•S pieces are designed in Australia and made in limited quantities.
Discover the Lauren Turtleneck, the Stella Polo Knit and the complete E•L•S knitwear collection.
